1. Field of the Disclosure
Technology of the disclosure relates to hybrid fiber optic cables, in some cases, comprising multiple optical fibers and electrical conductors disposed in a cable jacket to support optical and electrical connections.
2. Technical Background
Benefits of optical fibers include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. In applications where high bandwidth and electrical conductor interconnectivity is desired, hybrid fiber optic cables may be employed. Hybrid fiber optic cables include one or more optical fibers capable of transporting signals optically at high bandwidths. Hybrid cables also include one or more electrical conductors capable of carrying electrical energy, such as signals and/or power as an example. These hybrid cables may be employed in devices, such as user devices, to provide optical and electrical signal connectivity.
Device manufacturers and users of these devices may continue to provide applications that require the delivery of more bandwidth and/or additional electrical conductors for additional electrical signal functionality. Adding additional bandwidth capability may be provided by incrementally adding more optical fibers. Additional electrical conductor conductivity may be provided by incrementally adding more electrical conductors. In either case, incrementally adding more optical fibers and/or electrical conductors in a hybrid cable can cause issues. Providing additional optical fibers and/or electrical conductors in a cable jacket that may be required to maintain a small outer diameter (such as for portable devices) may collectively cause the hybrid cable to either be too stiff or susceptible to breakage issues. Further, the optical fibers in the hybrid may also be subjected to severe bends, including pinch bends, when the optical fibers are bent.
Further, connectorized cables including optical fibers and electrical conductors may not be efficient. The inefficiency occurs because of interference factors, for example, stray capacitance, which causes the impedance of connectorized systems to vary from ideal. Traditional methods of controlling impedance by merely insulating each separate electrical conductor subassembly may result in hybrid fiber optic cables that are too stiff and/or too thick to easily use, store, and/or transport and thereby may be inadequate for mobile use.
A new connectorized system is desired to provide electrical and/or optical connections to one or more optical devices or hubs. The new connectorized system may be flexible, have a small diameter form-factor, and be bend-tolerant to support mobile personal use. The new connectorized system may also be more efficient than other hybrid cable designs by better controlling the impedance of the connectorized system while being easier to store and transport, and yet be cost effective for consumers to purchase.